What Is The "Memory Effect" Of Batteries?If nickel-cadmium batteries are recharged before they have been fully discharged, cadmium crystals can form at their negative electrodes. This results in an unwanted second discharge stage. The battery stores this stage as a discharge stage for the next cycle in its memory, even though capacity is still available 'below' this. During the next discharge process, the battery only remembers this reduced capacity.
Any further incomplete discharge cycles which follow will aggravate this situation still further and the performance of the battery will continue to fall. Nickel-cadmium cells should therefore be discharged fully at occasional intervals. This prevents the 'memory effect' from occurring and prolongs the service life of the cell or battery. This effect does not occur with nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH)batteries. Consequently, these batteries can be discharged and recharged without problem.
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